Homemade Potato Gnocchi ~ pillowy soft, delicious potato dough dumplings ~ if that description doesn’t grab you right away, maybe you’ll be enticed by how simple they are to make! Cooked like pasta and combined with your favorite sauce, this Italian staple is a must make right in your own kitchen.
This Potato Gnocchi recipe first appeared on RecipeGirl where I’m a contributor and occasionally post delicious recipes!
Super easy to make, and fun to shape and roll, there are no bad gnocchi dumplings to be had. And trust me when I say, nobody will care if they’re not completely uniform in size, just make sure there are little pockets and ridges to hold the sauce. Watch our quick video to see how to shape the gnocchi!
If you don’t own an inexpensive potato ricer, now would be the time to pick one up. Pushing cooked potatoes through the ricer gives gnocchi (pronounced noh-kee) a fluffiness you won’t get from mashing. The ricer also helps take your everyday mashed potatoes to a whole new level of deliciousness! You don’t have to make ridges in your gnocchi with a fork, it’s perfectly acceptable to press a finger in the middle of each little pillow to create a pocket. You may have seen the small wooden boards made for creating ridges in gnocchi, but I haven’t had much luck using mine. Personally, I prefer the fork method because it’s so easy.
Did I mention that gnocchi freezes beautifully?
Place the formed dumplings on a parchment lined baking sheet and flash freeze for about an hour. Gather the frozen gnocchi and place them in a freezer bag for later use.
Warm your favorite sauce in a skillet and add the cooked gnocchi for a delicious, filling and authentic Italian treat. Once cooked and drained, gnocchi can also be sautéed in olive oil until browned then served with fresh herbs, cheese and a little lemon. Another delicious option is to toss gnocchi in fresh basil pesto or brown lightly in sage infused butter. There are so many wonderful ways to enjoy gnocchi – but marinara is my favorite 🙂
Be sure to season your potato gnocchi like you would mashed potatoes. Plenty of black pepper and a little salt does the trick. Don’t forget the Parmesan and fresh basil leaves – yum!
Check out our HOW-TO video and see how easy it is to roll and shape the gnocchi
Thanks for pinning!
Pillowy soft, delicious potato dough dumplings great served with your favorite sauce, a little cheese and fresh herbs
- 2 large Russet potatoes (1 1/4 lbs)
- 1 (heaping) tablespoon ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- basil leaves
- marinara sauce
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash the potatoes and wrap tightly in foil. Place the potatoes on a baking stone or sheet pan and bake for 90 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven, unwrap immediately and cool until easily handled (but still somewhat warm.)
- Peel the potatoes and discard the skin. Press the warm, cooked potatoes through a ricer onto a clean work surface, or gently mash.
- Add the ricotta cheese to the pile of riced potatoes and gently work in just until lightly distributed. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and gently fold together until combined. Don’t smash the potatoes, but mix with your hands using a gentle folding method. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and add the lightly beaten egg. Work in the egg and continue mixing to form a soft smooth dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough! The dumplings will end up dense and won’t expand when cooked if it’s overworked.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. (SEE NOTE BELOW)
- Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a log about 3/4-inch in diameter. Flour a table knife or kitchen scraper and cut each log into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch gnocchi pillows. To shape the gnocchi, either press gently in the center with your finger or roll down the back of a fork (see video) to make ridges.
- Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat just a little and add some of the shaped gnocchi. Be sure you don’t crowd the pot - so cook in batches depending on the size of your pot. The gnocchi cooks quickly, in about 2 minutes, and rises to the top of the water when done. Remove the floating gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a clean, dry baking sheet to dry while cooking the remaining dough. When cooked, the gnocchi should puff up or swell and have a pillowy soft texture when eaten.
- Serve and enjoy!
If there’s not enough flour in the dough, the gnocchi will fall apart when boiled. Before forming all the gnocchi, you can test one piece in the boiling water to make sure it will hold together.
To freeze gnocchi, place the shaped dough in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about an hour then transfer to a freezer safe container. Use within 30 days. To serve gnocchi, add to your favorite warmed sauce and serve immediately.
Here are a few of our favorite kitchen tools used to make the gnocchi (click on each photo for more information)
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We love delicious and easy Italian inspired recipes like our favorite Bucatini Puttanesca – Spicy One-Pot Pasta that comes together in minutes! In the summer when basil is growing like a weed, we love to make this super easy Basil Pesto Cream with Tortellini. It’s loaded with flavor! Once you’ve made your own gnocchi, you may want to try different ways to serve it. One Skillet Sausage & White Bean Gnocchi ~ from Chelsea’s Messy Apron is on the table in 30 minutes flat! Foodie Crush set the bar pretty high with this gorgeous Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce. And, I’m excited to try this Baked Gnocchi Casserole in Creamy Tomato Sauce ~ from Spend With Pennies too.
I hope you’ll give this delicious recipe a try! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Tricia
It’s been a long time since I’ve made gnocchi. Your skills look better than mine. I guess I should practice. GREG
Thanks Greg – Such a delicious dish – hope you get the chance to make it soon 🙂
I love gnocchis and I made them many moons ago. Yours look fabulous and the video is super. Pinned and I hope to make them soon.
Thanks for pinning Gerlinde. I hope you love these little delicious dumplings too 🙂
Yum, Tricia, it looks delicious! I love everything about gnocchi, except trying to pronounce it. I’ve always wanted to try making it but never got up the nerve. Maybe I will now after seeing this. I bet this disappeared in a flash once it hit the table! take care
Hey Pam – I know you can make this – so easy and delicious. Yes it will disappear in no time flat so be sure to make extra to freeze for later 🙂 Enjoy and thanks again!
I have to confess it’s been a long time since I made gnocchi and I love it so much. I think I’d rather make the drive to your house though, Tricia. This is mouth-watering!
Come on down Robyn! We’ll set the table and open a bottle of wine and make an evening of it!
Hi Tricia, Which hole size should we use for the potato ricer? The smallest one?
Ho Goldie – yes I used the smallest one. Thats a great question but I don’t think there’s a right and wrong – as long as the potatoes are mashed well. Thank you so much – hope you enjoy the recipe.
I LOVE gnocchi but never could quite figure out that pretty shaping technique. Thanks for a great tutorial Tricia. They look amazing!
Thank you Chris – it’s so easy hope you’ll give them a try! Happy 4th of July to you and Scott.
Great looking job Tricia and I can imagine they were delicious. I tried making them once and it was less than successful – may try them again with your recipe.
Thanks Larry! Hope this one works for you 🙂 Happy 4th of July!
My mouth is watering 🙂 I have a potato ricer and lot it for making mashed potatoes too. Your gnocchi would be delicious with fresh tomato sauce from my summer tomatoes. It looks so inviting and delicious!!
Thank you Susan – these are so soft and delicious – hope you’ll give them a try! Have a safe and happy July 4th weekend!
I have not made it in prehistoric ages! I have to..now that you have made me crave it..another blogger I follow..Marie..posted a creamy mushroom one..so I blame the 2 of you:)Happy w/e Tricia et famille!
Hahaha Monique! Creamy mushroom gnocchi sounds pretty fantastic too – I’ll have to look for that one! Thank you so much 🙂
Potato gnocchi are one of my favourite dishes and I usually indulge only when eating out. You have inspired me to make it at home once in a while. Beautiful!
It’s so easy Jennifer – I bet you would love it. Thank you!
Oh my gosh, this looks so deliciously easy! I love gnocchi, it has to be the most comforting of all pasta dishes, I can’t wait to grab my fork and get rolling! Pinning and sharing your fun video!
Thank you very much Sue!!!!
Love everything about this dish Tricia, your gnocchi looks perfect. So funny I am making a Creamy chard and mushroom gnocchi tonight but my gnocchi is store bought;)
That gnocchi recipe sounds great Cheri. Hope you’ll give this simple homemade recipe a try sometime – so easy!